Wayanad, 19 September (H.S.): A court in Wayanad has granted the Excise Department 24-hour custody of Reporter TV owner Anto Augustine for questioning in an Abkari case involving the seizure of a large quantity of liquor from a house.

The Sulthan Bathery Judicial First Class Magistrate Court ordered that Augustine be placed in Excise custody from noon on Saturday until noon on Sunday. Officials plan to take him to the house later on Saturday for evidence collection under Excise Department supervision.

The Excise Department and the prosecution had sought four days' custody, arguing that detailed questioning was necessary to identify the source of the seized liquor and establish other circumstances surrounding the case.

Excise officials recovered 43.850 litres of Indian-made foreign liquor and wine from a house in Muttil grama panchayat on Wednesday evening. A case was subsequently registered under various provisions of the Abkari Act. Augustine was arrested in Ernakulam the following morning and later remanded.

The Kerala High Court had earlier rejected Augustine's bail petition after the magistrate court denied him relief. Justice Kausar Edappagath considered the plea.

In his petition, Augustine alleged that he was being targeted as part of a conspiracy and referred to an ownership dispute concerning the house. He argued that the property was not registered in his name and was already involved in litigation and under consideration for court attachment. On these grounds, he contended that a case could not be registered against him in connection with the seizure.

The Excise Department also informed the court that 12.75 litres of the seized stock was illicit liquor. Augustine disputed the claim, maintaining that it was homemade wine. He argued that describing it as illicit liquor without conducting a scientific examination supported his allegation that the case was part of a conspiracy against him. Further investigation is continuing.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Arun Lakshman